Secrets
by rainiel
Summary: When Machi decides to leave the Student Council, she finds out that Yuki has been hiding something. And Yuki finds out something about her, too. MachixYuki. In Machi's mind, it's TohruxYuki. Rated T13 for language in future chapters possibly
1. Resignation

Hello. This was the first fanfiction story I actually uploaded onto here. I had written others but... they all kinda suck. This probably does too. But hey. It might be fun.

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket isn't mine. But it's not yours either! So that's ok. Unless Takaya-sensei is here. Which I doubt. But if she was... TAKAYA-SENSEI? ARE YOU THERE? Such an honour...

--

Machi needed her pencil case. Quite urgently, infact, because she did not have much time to write this note. At all. The bell would ring soon and Yuki would be back. She found it under a pile of paper and began to write.

_Dear President,_

She crossed it out. 'Dear' sounded too... something.

_To President,_

She crossed it out again. That just sounded strange.

_President Sohma-san,_

_I am sorry to have to inform you that I wish to leave my position as treasurer in the Student Council. This is due to_

What was it due to? Awkwardness? Embarrassment? She needed an excuse.

_An overload of work both at home and at school._

This would be perfect. But she decided to add a little extra information just in case he didn't understand.

_As you know I live on my own, and my parents now expect me to pay my own water and electricity bills. For this reason I have to leave the Student Council in order to take a part-time job after school, when meetings are usually held._

_Thank you,_

_Machi Kuragi_

_Former Treasurer_

She signed her name and got up from the desk that would not be hers for much longer. The council room was tidy, which bothered her, but at least the letter would be prominent if put out of place.

Yuki's desk was a possibility, but someone else might pick it up from there. Aha – his drawers would be a good place. She opened the first one to find a bundle of papers kept together with a rubber band. The edges were ripped, and the writing was often smudged. That was strange for Yuki, who always seemed so organised...

Machi was curious.

She took off the rubber band and let the papers spill onto Yuki's desk and the floor. That was better. She picked one up – but this was strange. It looked like her own handwriting.

_3000 yen._

Yes, it was her handwriting. Council papers, perhaps? Maybe Yuki was making a spreadsheet of the council's income and expenditure. That would explain it.

Most of the papers were just numbers Machi had written down – the cost of equipment, profits from the student council stand at the cultural festival, things like that. But some did not fit the pattern.

_The photocopier is broken._

_We need more squared paper._

What was Yuki keeping things like this for? They were Machi's notes from council meetings, but they weren't needed anymore. The old photocopier had been replaced, and the ever-efficient president had ordered more paper as soon as it was mentioned.

And why weren't there any scraps of paper from the other council members? Could it be that... Yuki was just keeping these because she...

_'No, Machi, it could not be that' _She thought to herself._ 'He only has eyes for Honda-san. You know that.'_

"Machi? Why are you in here at lunch break?"

She recognised that voice instantly, and shoved the papers back into his desk drawer, clenching her own letter in her fist.

"President..." she turned around. "Well... well, I could ask you the same thing!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude..."

"If you must know, I was..."

'It's now or never, Machi. Just leaving the letter won't work. You've got to tell him.'

"I was here to give you THIS."

She shoved the letter at him.

"I have to resign. I'm sorry, but it's just too much pressure."

And with that she walked out of the room.


	2. Conversation

Hello again. I am very happy that people have read and reviewed my work, and I hope that they will continue to do so for future chapters. Bad reviews are as welcome as good ones. We need both strengths and weaknesses to get through life.

This chapter is a little short, unfortunately. I need to go back to Machi's POV to make things happen, I think. I'm sorry if the characters got a little OOC in this chapter.

--

Yuki was not sure what to think. She had been looking through his drawers, he knew – had something in there made her want to leave? This letter was just an excuse, of course – Kakeru had told him that Machi's parents took care of all the expenses.

So why was she quitting? Yuki would not usually ask such prying questions, but for someone he cared about, he would risk it. He walked out of the council room and into the corridor, where two girls informed him that Machi had gone down the corridor towards the science labs.

He caught up with her quickly.

"Machi!"

She turned around.

"President? I'm sorry, President, but I already explained."

"I don't mind you quitting, but there's no need to lie!"

"What?"

"Kakeru told me that your parents pay all the bills."

"But that's-"

"Machi, why are you leaving? Really?"

"President, I've already explained once. Does it really matter, anyway? It won't make any difference if I'm not there."

"Yes it will! You're an important council member!"

"Now you're the one lying!"

"Machi... is there some other reason?"

"No!"

_It happened again. She got all red and mad like that day at the cafe. I wonder what it is that makes that happen._

By this time she had marched off down the next corridor, which left Yuki feeling a little stupid, and even more so when he turned around only to realise that Kakeru had been listening the whole time.

"Yun-Yun! What happened?" As usual, Kakeru had a smile on his face. "A lovers' tiff, perhaps?" he whispered under his breath.

"Nothing."


	3. Realisation

Thank you very much for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's back to Machi's POV this time, and a little longer than the previous chapters.

Afternoon lessons went quickly, as usual. As long as she concentrated on the work and didn't daydream, Machi could make them go as fast as she wanted. But it was a little harder today. She had a lot to think about. When the bell rang, she was still wondering about the events that had happened during lunch break. Most of the students hurried out of the classroom, but she was one of the last to leave.

Stupidly, Machi had assumed that there was a council meeting today, and had taken the path home that Yuki Sohma often walked. When she turned the corner onto the main road, there he was, just a few steps infront of her. So close, infact, that she could hear his conversation with Hatsuharu-san from her class.

"Where's Tohru today?"

_That's Honda-san's name, isn't it?_

"I think she went somewhere else. Hanajima-san's house, perhaps?"

"What about you? I thought you had a council meeting today?"

_So did I_, she thought to herself.

"No. There was one scheduled, but it was cancelled this afternoon."

Was that because of me? No, it wouldn't be. It doesn't matter whether I'm there or not.

"Why?"

"The treasurer... the treasurer resigned."

"Huh? Machi? Why?"

"I don't know. She wouldn't tell me."

_But I did tell him! I told him plenty of times!_

By now, Machi was feeling quite annoyed, which was rare. Then again, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise. First she got angry at him because of her bookmark, and again today. And now this. Maybe she didn't need another excuse for leaving the Student Council. He was enough.

Hatsuharu and Yuki crossed over to the other side of the road at the next set of traffic lights. Machi slowed her pace - they were now walking almost parallel to her, and she couldn't let them see her! However, this also meant that she could no longer hear their conversation easily. She strained her ears but could only hear a few snippets, many of which contained the name 'Honda-san' or 'Tohru'.

That was proof enough for her. Yuki had mentioned her, briefly, but had not gone into any detail and had denied even knowing why she had resigned! Now he was talking about Honda-san again. She seemed to be one of his favourite topics. Sometimes, even Kakeru joined Yuki in talking about her.

_At least they'll be happy like that. Then again, _she wondered, _does that mean that everyone except me will continue to believe that he is 'perfect'?_

Machi looked up and realised that the street was now empty of Yuki, Hatsuharu, and in fact any students at all. She must have slowed down a lot in her daydream.

Hoping to be back in time to finish all of her homework tonight, Machi hurried home, not that she needed to. All she did was homework – she didn't have student council meetings anymore, she didn't have friends to phone, manga or literature series to catch up on, she didn't even have a television or computer at home. When she had first moved into her own house, she hadn't thought of buying one; she had still firmly believed that all she was meant to do was to follow orders. She couldn't let anything distract her from that. Now it was just habit. She was used to it.

Machi's house was not far from school, it usually only took ten or fifteen minutes when she came this way. She reached it quickly, fumbled in her bag for the key and opened her front door. She threw her schoolbag on the floor, walked over several textbooks, pens, and pencils, and picked up some clothes from the weekend to shove in the washing machine. Eventually, she reached the small kitchen in her apartment.

Machi opened the cupboard and took out a sachet of miso soup base. She filled a pan with water, turned on the gas ring on her oven and let the soup boil. Whilst chopping up some vegetables to add to her dinner, she pondered today's events. _He didn't seem that bothered, really. He came to talk to me once, but... _She replayed the scene in the corridor in her mind.

"_I don't mind you quitting"... _he had said that. And then, when she left, nothing had been final. It had felt almost as if Yuki had simply given up and let her go. _I couldn't have been such an 'important council member', then. _

The saucepan was bubbling and steaming by now. Machi got a bowl and spoon out of the cupboard which had been left open, and poured her soup into it. She turned off the gas, leaving the dirty saucepan on the stove, before walking over to the table where she sat down and made a small space by brushing a box of tissues and a small plush Mogeta doll onto the floor.

When she finished eating, she left the bowl on the table and sat down on her bed with her notebook and pencil case. But she was tired, even though she'd only come back from school an hour ago. She lay down and picked up that bookmark they'd argued over. _Is that to be forgotten now, as well? Am I to be abandoned yet again? Would he do that to me? I thought he knew how it felt to be lonely._

Until now, she hadn't realised what a mistake it had been to leave the Student Council.


	4. Recognition

Hello faithful readers

Here is chapter number 4. Thank you very much for your previous reviews and responses, they were all received gratefully. I'm afraid that the characters really are becoming too OOC in this chapter... I will try to keep them in character in future. As always, reviews are welcome.

Machi woke up early even though she hadn't gone to sleep until around 11pm last night. She quickly washed, got dressed and left the house after eating breakfast. She needed to get to school before any of the other student council members so that she could collect her belongings from the council room without being disturbed.

When she reached the Student Council room at school, she went straight to her desk. It usually would have been covered with sheets of paper and other random artefacts, but strangely it was now cleared of everything. She looked under the desk – there was a cardboard box filled with her possessions. The top was still open, so she looked inside. On top of all her things, there was a letter similar to the one she had given Yuki yesterday.

_Dear Machi,_

She paused. _He had used 'dear'! But that was just so…_

The letter was only short.

_We were all very sorry to hear that you will be leaving the Student Council. We thank you for the hard work you put in whilst you were a member, and wish you good luck in the future. We would also like to tell you that should you ever want to return to the student council, you would be welcome._

_Yours,_

Student Council President and Members

The signatures of Naohito, Kimi, Kakeru and finally Yuki followed.

_When did he put this here? _She wondered, assuming that Yuki had placed it there. It looked like his handwriting, but she didn't know of any distinguishing features she could use to tell if it was his. _Yesterday afternoon? This morning?_

It was, she concluded, a mystery.

Whilst Machi was carrying the box back to her own classroom, Kakeru and Yuki were in the photocopying room. After signing the letter, Kimi had gone back to her room and Naohito had simply disappeared, so it was just the two of them left.

"Well, I'm going now, Yun-Yun." Said Kakeru, getting up.

"Oh. I'd better go as well."

They both walked out of the door and then went their separate ways, Kakeru going down the corridor to the right and Yuki to the left.

As he walked to room 12B, where his first lesson was that day, he passed by Machi's classroom. The door was closed but there was a window in it. He looked through and saw her sitting alone at a desk in the third row, unpacking her things. He thought for a minute or two about going in, but decided against it. It had seemed, yesterday, that she wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

However, before Yuki had walked very far down the corridor, the classroom door opened of its own accord.

"President."

"Machi?" he asked, before turning round.

Did he recognise my voice? Or is just because I'm the only one who actually calls him 'President?

"Why did you keep those bits of paper?"

"Well... sort of, memories, I suppose."

"Memories?"

He nodded from down the hallway.

"You don't talk much, do you, Machi?"

_I suppose not._

"You rarely participate in school events, so I don't have photographs of you like I do of Kakeru, Kimi and Nao..."

"Oh."

She turned and went back to the classroom. _That answer was good enough, I suppose._ But this was a lot to process, and it made her feel strangely emotional. _Why would he need memories of me? _Machi found herself asking a lot of questions that she didn't have the answers to.

Only he did.


End file.
